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week 1 in new england

I have been in the United States for a week, and I haven’t been blown up, harassed, or run into any major problems. I have seen many wonderful examples of stupidity, but I suppose that is prevalent everywhere in the world. I have witnessed people putting others down in the hope of making themselves look better, I have seen people jump to conclusions only to have it backfire, and I have seen breaches of respect and breaks of promise. It’s not an easy place to be out there, sometimes, and it seems like it is harder and harder to want to be a good person in some aspects. Still, I have gone on with my week and accomplished many items on a to do list and feel rather optimistic of the near future though wary of throwing my thumbs in too many pies all at once.

Let’s first look at the little tasks of the week: jet lag is a thing of the past, i can legally drive, tile has been acquired for the bathroom, some clothing has been purchased, undergarments to last me a good year or so have been purchased, i can take a class this fall. All in all, it’s been a little busy.

My folks are having work done on the house, and that’s been one obstacle after another, but at this point my mother and I have a closet, which is an improvement on the situation earlier in the week. My desk has a new home and my bedroom looks less like a storage space. When the plastering is done I will go to town making downstairs of this house look like a place I live in. I am sure my friend Colleen had all kinds of wonderful lude thoughts about the fact that my bedroom is covered wall to wall in mirrors.

I went to a mini-barbecue and had smores and beer. There’s something I haven’t done in ages. The best part was the opportunity to catch up with Colleen and Tara. I’ve seen Colleen a few times since high school, but Tara has been off the radar screen for maybe 9 years now. I am glad that number is no longer growing.

I don’t have my own transportation right now, so i feel almost handicapped. I should have a car soon, thanks to the wonder of having family in the car business. I actually saw the car earlier in the week, though it is short a muffler, rims, tires, and a driver’s seat. The dark blue little ’95 civic will serve me quite well, I imagine. The neon has been retired to my father’s vehicle, and it looks much worse the wear. I think the poor little car has had no maintenance since I left, and it still has water issues. At one point I thought the car and I reflected each other… we both had quirks and little breaks and weaknesses, and in some way it seemed like the resemblance between pet and owner. I think that likeness has died somewhere along the way. Maybe that little neglected white car in the driveway is showing me a possible path of what could have happened to me if I hadn’t traveled to China. Right now, I hope it stands out to me as a reminder of what shouldn’t happen.

It’s loud. I know that sounds bizarre since I lived in a big city where cars zoom around and taxis beep constantly and people used volume in China to seemingly express emotion… but my ears ring at the end of the day here. It’s like they are worn out and don’t want to do any more work.

The water is dry. I take a wonderful refreshing shower, get out, dry off, and notice my skin start cracking. Is that all the chlorine striking out at my skin? Not really sure, but I can see why the cosmetics industry makes such a killing. I spent more money on something to keep the skin on my face than I did on clothing.

I went to the Vanity Fair outlet in New Bedford yesterday. All I can say to women in the New England area is never buy undergarments at the store. It’s all too expensive. Outlet shopping is in your favor when bras are 3, 5, and 8 dollars. Heck, if you’re my friend and you live to far to go, drop me a line or send me a check and I’ll help you out. It certainly beats the price tags I see in stores any day. It bothers me that such a little piece of clothing can cost so much. Why? Because it keeps me from bouncing all over the place? It seems neither fair nor reasonable when it all comes down to cloth, stitches, and little bits of metal.

Boston’s big dig appears to remain the blight of the city. Sitting in a car moving through the city at night proved that it will remain an obstacle to visiting any friends in the north. I guess it will help me talk my way into more sleep overs.

I also had a chance to speak Chinese this week with a woman working in social security. She seemed pretty neat, though she was convinced I should get myself a job either in CA or NY so as to take advantage of my language skills in an environment that would allow me to move between countries more freely. I understand her point, but I don’t see that I’d be doing anything more interesting than customer service, sales, or building business relationships that didn’t mean a whole lot to me. For now I will stick to the Boston scene and see what it has to offer me. That means looking into some writing, looking into some education positions, and looking into anything in the area that will let me use Chinese. Actually, anything except the job opening here in Randolph for someone speaking Chinese in the police force. I don’t think I want to be one of the women in blue. That just doesn’t quite seem like my scene.

I hope to email out my resume in floods this week and see what the tide brings me. There will most certainly be something I can throw my efforts and talents into around here.